Bags good enough?

Will finally be able to go to the range to test my new load, and I got to thinking about something. I know that shooting off of a bench rest style front rest is best, but is shooting off of snadbags good enough for testing loads? I know a lot of it is the shooter, but am I waisting time, and money by not using a BR style front rest? Mind you I am not building a comptition rifle, my main use is <500 yds, and is for hunting. But I want the best results I can get from the rifle , and load.

For hunting, and even beyond 500 yds, load testing off of a bag platform is surely good enough. You are not wasting your time.

The main thing is that you are able to hold the gun dead steady, and it recoils the same each shot. Set your bags up so they dont "rock" back and forth when the gun recoils. Ideally, you want the gun to sit in the same place on the bags every shot, and try to apply the same pressures to the stock every shot.......................it's all about consistency.

If you are using the bags correctly, 1/4 moa accuracy or better is obtainable, assuming the rifle/load is up the the task. Even if everything is not perfect, 1/2 moa is easily done off "just bags", again assuming the gun is capable.

Once you get a load developed that consistently shoots 3/4 moa or better extreme spread, practice under field positions, ex bipod and rear bag, and make sure of your point of impact at distance.

I do my shooting off a bipod, and small basic rabbit ear type back with rice, as it is easy to handle, I put 3 @ 6 1/4 '' yesterday with this at 1003, 8 3/4 lb. rifle. My bench friend drug out about 75 lbs of rests front and back, and never shot outside 5 1/4'', 5 shot groups in 45 shots. His alum. action, 29'' bull barrel 17 lb.40X NF